Pubs Code rights for tied tenants published ahead of emergency period ending

The Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) has published a table that sets out how tied tenants can access their Pubs Code rights when the period covered by the Covid-19 emergency declaration ends on 30 June.

The Emergency Period Limitation Table sets out what tied tenants need to know about accessing their Pubs Code rights as the sector starts to reopen from early July.

The declaration, which was agreed by the six regulated pub-owning businesses (POBs) and came into effect on 16 March, was intended to preserve tenants’ rights during the emergency period by stopping the clock on important deadlines, including rent assessments and tenancy renewals.

For example, tenants who had received a Rent Assessment Proposal before 16 March would still have the same number of days to serve a Market Rent Only (MRO) notice from 30 June as they had on 16 March.

Fiona Dickie, Pubs Code adjudicator, said: “The opportunity to reopen their pubs will bring a range of challenges for tied tenants. So it needs to be as clear as possible what their Pubs Code rights are and what they need to do to access them.

“It is now more important than ever that tied tenants are free to exercise these rights as parliament intended, and that pub-owning businesses demonstrate the Pubs Code principles of fairness and transparency in all dealings with their tied tenants. I will ensure that this happens.”

The Pubs Code regulates the relationship between all pub companies owning 500 or more tied pubs in England and Wales and their tied tenants.

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